St. Nicholas Church, c. 1890–1900Choir and main altar
St. Nicholas Church (Dutch: Sint-Niklaaskerk) is a Roman Catholicchurch, as well as one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium. Begun in the early 13th century as a replacement for an earlier Romanesque church, construction continued through the rest of the century in the local ScheldtGothic style (named after the nearby river). Typical of this style is the use of blue-gray stone from the Tournai area, the single large tower above the crossing, and the slender turrets at the building's corners.
Built in the old trade center of Ghent next to the bustling Korenmarkt (Wheat Market[1]), St. Nicholas Church was popular with the guilds whose members carried out their business nearby. The guilds had their own chapels which were added to the sides of the church in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The central tower, which was funded in part by the city, served as an observation post and carried the town bells until the neighboring Belfry of Ghent was built. These two towers, along with St. Bavo's Cathedral, still define the skyline of the city center. One of the treasures of the church is its organ, produced by the famous French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
Restoration
The building gradually deteriorated through the centuries, to a degree that threatened its stability. Cracks were overlaid with plaster, windows were bricked up to reinforce the walls, and in the 18th century, little houses and shops were built up against the dilapidated facades. Interest in the church as a historical monument arose around 1840, and at the turn of the 20th century major restoration plans emerged. The houses alongside the church were demolished and much renovation work has been carried out since then.
Organ
Cavaillé-Coll organ
The organ in St. Nicholas Church is one of the most important Romantic organs of Belgium.[2] It was built by the noted French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
History
Before the Cavaillé-Coll organ, the church had an organ built in 1840 by the Flemish organ builder Pierre Van Pethegem.[3]
In 1850, François-Joseph Fétis advocated the construction of a model organ in Belgium, he got support from dean Désiré Ignace Verduyn. They asked Cavaillé-Coll to make a proposal for a new organ, the first CC organ in Belgium.
In a first proposal of March, 1853, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll suggested a two-manual instrument, partially reusing material of the Van Peteghem organ. A second proposal also suggested a two-manual instrument with almost identical disposition.
The third proposal of September 3, 1853 describes the final three-manual organ in a new case with 16' pipes in the front (Grand Orgue dit de seize pieds en Monfre).
Construction of the organ began in 1853, it was completed in 1856. The inauguration concert was performed by Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély on March 11, 1856. [4]
Stained glass window of the Allegory of the Passion of Jesus by Jean Baptiste Capronnier
During the restoration of the church, the organ was enclosed in a wooden case. The organ was last played in 1961. For half a century the organ could not be played nor seen.
In 2010 the wooden case was removed, the organ was cleaned and became visible again. It is not playable yet since the wind supply was removed and is currently in storage.
In 2013 the organ loft and the organ were hydraulically leveled as a first step in the restoration process.
Disposition
Original disposition of March 11, 1856 (retaining the original French names):
Ghent is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the province of East Flanders, and the third largest in the country, after Brussels and Antwerp. It is a port and university city.
Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor was a French organist, composer and teacher of the late Romantic era. As a composer he is known for his ten organ symphonies, especially the toccata of his fifth organ symphony, which is frequently played as recessional music at weddings and other celebrations.
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was a French organ builder. He has the reputation of being the most distinguished organ builder of the 19th century. He pioneered innovations in the art and science of organ building that permeated the profession and influenced the course of organ building, composing and improvising through the early 20th century.
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Saint-Ouen Abbey, is a large Gothic Catholic church and former Benedictine monastic church in Rouen. It is named for Audoin, 7th-century bishop of Rouen in modern Normandy, France. The church's name is sometimes anglicized as St Owen's. Built on a similar scale to nearby Rouen Cathedral, the abbey is famous for both its architecture and its large, unaltered Cavaillé-Coll organ, which was described by Charles-Marie Widor as "a Michelangelo of an organ". With the cathedral and the Church of Saint-Maclou, Saint-Ouen is one of the principal French Gothic monuments of the city.
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Saint Bavo's Cathedral, also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. The 89-metre-tall (292 ft) Gothic building is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent and is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent. It contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece, also called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.
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Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption is a Roman Catholic church in the First arrondissement of Paris, France. The building was constructed between 1670 and 1676 when it was consecrated. Since 1844 it has been the main Polish church of Paris, situated at 263, Rue Saint-Honoré.
Clément Loret was an organist, music educator, and composer of Belgian origin, French naturalized.
The Warrington Cavaillé-Coll Organ is housed in Parr Hall in Warrington (UK). It is one of the few surviving pipe organs in the UK that were built by the French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811–99).
Petrus Norbertus van Reysschoot or Pieter Norbert van Reysschoot was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, decorator, educator and art collector. He spent his career in Ghent. He is known for his decorative projects in local residences and churches and in particular his grisaille paintings. His subject matter ranged from landscapes, allegories, mythological and religious stories, genre scenes and trompe-l'œil still lifes.
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